FN America shows MTL-30 grenade launcher to help U.S. Army hit enemy troops behind cover at 500 meters.

On October 12, 2026, FN America showcased its MTL-30 30 mm semi-automatic grenade launcher at AUSA 2026 in Washington, D.C., as a candidate for the U.S. Army's Precision Grenadier System (PGS). The shoulder-fired weapon uses three- or five-round magazines, weighs 4.5-4.99 kg without ammunition or optics, and has a 500-meter effective range, compared with 350 meters for the M203 and 400 meters for the M320. Developed under a $2 million U.S. Army prototype contract awarded on October 1, 2025, the MTL-30 is intended to engage personnel behind cover, small drones, and lightly armored targets using specialized 30 mm ammunition.

The FN MTL-30 is a semi-automatic 30 mm grenade launcher designed to engage enemy troops behind cover, small drones, and lightly armored vehicles at ranges of up to 500 meters, including with programmable airburst grenades. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

On October 12, 2026, FN America displayed its MTL-30 30 mm semi-automatic grenade launcher at AUSA 2026 in Washington, D.C., as a candidate for the U.S. Army's Precision Grenadier System (PGS) program. Developed to engage infantry behind cover, small drones, and lightly armored targets at distances of up to 500 meters, the shoulder-fired weapon weighs 4.5 to 4.99 kg without ammunition or optics, fires medium-velocity grenades from three- or five-round magazines, and replaces single-shot grenade fire with successive shots without manual reloading. FN received a $2 million Army prototype contract on October 1, 2025, and tested an additional MF30MD muzzle device in February 2026, while production is intended at FN America's Columbia, South Carolina, facility, but no final PGS design, production order, or fielding date has been confirmed to date by the U.S. Army.

The U.S. Army initiated its search for a new infantry grenade launcher in November 2020, and the February 2023 requirement included engagements against personnel in trenches and behind obstacles, exposed infantry, hovering drones, lightly armored vehicles, and doors requiring explosive breaching. On February 11, 2025, the U.S. Army initiated a separate PGS prototype effort to reduce development risks before committing to the formal acquisition program, permitting several manufacturers to propose different calibers and fire control arrangements. FN's MTL-30 originated from its PGS-001 candidate in the 2024-2025 xTechSoldier Lethality competition, which was won by Barrett Firearms and MARS Inc. with their 30 mm Squad Support Rifle System. Despite losing that competition, FN nevertheless secured a separate $2 million contract through U.S. Army Contracting Command in October 2025, allowing its launcher and associated ammunition to undergo further development independently of the competition result.

Related topic: FN America displays MTL-30 grenade launcher at AUSA 2025 following $2M US Army prototype award

The MTL-30 measures 86.4 to 88.9 cm in overall length and 21.6 cm in height, with an unloaded weight of 4.99 kg without optics and an earlier configuration weighing just over 4.5 kg. Its 30 mm medium-velocity ammunition has a muzzle velocity of 203 m/s, compared with the substantially lower velocity of 76 m/s for 40×46 mm low-velocity grenades, such as the M433 High-Explosive Dual-Purpose (HEDP) cartridge used by the M203 and M320. Firing characteristics also include a projectile flight time below three seconds at 300 meters and a maximum trajectory height of 11 meters within 500 meters. Its effective range of 500 m exceeds that of the existing M203 and M320 40 mm grenade launchers by 150 and 100 meters, respectively, while its semi-automatic action eliminates manual reloading between individual shots until the five-round magazine is empty. A recoil-energy figure of 61 joules was associated with the 2025 configuration, with FN incorporating a proprietary mechanism to manage the impulse transmitted through the shoulder stock.

The launcher uses an M4-pattern lower receiver with an ambidextrous safety selector, magazine release, bolt catch, and non-reciprocating charging handles accessible from either side. Its six-position telescoping stock has adjustable cheek risers, while the upper receiver carries a continuous MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail and lateral M-LOK slots for sights and accessories. A computerized sight could combine a laser rangefinder, a ballistic calculator, and an ammunition programmer to calculate the required elevation and detonation distance, although no final fire control system has been selected. FN also designed the launcher for user-level maintenance, with interchangeable muzzle devices and component commonality intended to simplify servicing, but the precise component endurance and quantified recoil reduction are still unconfirmed.

According to available information, FN's 30 mm ammunition approach includes high-explosive airburst, counter-drones, and training cartridges associated with Nostromo LLC, alongside proposed armor-piercing, flechette, powder, and close-quarters rounds. Programmable airburst ammunition would detonate above trenches or beyond obstacles, allowing fragments to reach personnel occupying trenches, reverse slopes, and positions behind walls. Counter-UAS rounds would instead target small drones, requiring accurate ranging, projectile timing, and detonation near the aircraft. Neither a final ammunition-programming interface, automatic cartridge, explosive filling weight, fragmentation radius, armor penetration, qualified projectile mass, nor unit ammunition cost has been confirmed for the MTL-30.

The Army intends the PGS to function as a grenadier's primary weapon rather than serve exclusively as an underbarrel attachment to an M4 rifle. Seven five-round magazines provide 35 grenades, while a 45-round allocation requires nine magazines, excluding the launcher, optics, and other equipment. The MTL-30's 500-meter reach and semi-automatic operation would allow successive engagements against concealed infantry beyond the M203's and M320's nominal ranges, while airburst ammunition could address positions where direct-fire rifle ammunition cannot reach occupants behind cover. FN has proposed linking MTL-30 weapons with remote weapon stations for counter-drone defense, but a fielded networked configuration and measured interception probability have not been confirmed.

On February 23, 2026, FN America also announced firing tests with Strategic Sciences' MF30MD multifunction muzzle device, which combines flash reduction, sound suppression, and recoil mitigation. Testing examined compatibility with the MTL-30's firing cycle, extending development beyond the launcher and ammunition alone. FN plans to manufacture the launcher in Columbia, South Carolina, where its military production activities include the M240 and M249 machine guns. The competitive environment also changed during AUSA 2026, as Northrop Grumman and Barrett announced a partnership for a 25 mm PGS candidate, with Northrop responsible for ammunition development and Barrett for launcher manufacturing and integration of the inductive fuze programmer, while competitors also include Barrett-MARS's 30 mm Squad Support Rifle System and American Rheinmetall's 40 mm HAMMR.

The MTL-30's development also follows the cancellation of the XM25 Counter-Defilade Target Engagement program in 2018, which attempted to equip infantry with computerized fire control and programmable 25 mm airburst grenades. The XM25 weighed 6.35 kg, 1.36 to 1.85 kg heavier than the MTL-30 before accounting for differences in optics and ammunition. The U.S. Army must also consider ammunition procurement at scale: an acquisition planning figure of up to 11,000 weapons and 15 million cartridges would represent 1,364 cartridges per launcher over the entire planned ammunition quantity, while a 2026 prototype solicitation separately called for 16 weapons, 28 fire-control units, and 25,400 cartridges per candidate team, illustrating the testing and ammunition quantities involved before any large-scale acquisition.

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Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, South Korea, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.